Coronavirus LIVE: More than 13 mn vaccine doses administered, says govt

Coronavirus live updates: India reported a net addition of 4,801 to take its count of active coronavirus cases to 151,708, in the past 24 hours, according to MoHFW

9:38 AM

Coronavirus testing update: 7,93,383 samples tested on February 25, 2021

9:30 AM

West Bengal records 202 fresh Covid-19 cases

West Bengal records 202 fresh Covid-19 cases, tally rises to 5,74,301; three more fatalities take death toll to 10,256: Health department bulletin

9:01 AM

A 22-member COVID Intensive Vaccination Committee constituted in Puducherry

A 22-member COVID Intensive Vaccination Committee constituted in Puducherry for monitoring and upscaling of COVID vaccination activities. Lt Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan to be the Chairman of the Committee.

9:00 AM

FDA says single-dose shot from J&J vaccine prevents severe Covid-19

Johnson & Johnson's single-dose vaccine offers strong protection against severe COVID-19, according to an analysis released by US regulators that sets the stage for a final decision on a new and easier-to-use shot to help tame the pandemic.

 

The long-anticipated shot could offer the nation a third vaccine option and help speed vaccinations by requiring just one dose instead of two. Food and Drug Administration scientists on Wednesday confirmed that overall the vaccine is about 66% effective at preventing moderate to severe COVID-19, and about 85% effective against the most serious illness. The agency also said J&J's shot is safe. Read on...

8:41 AM

Made in India Covid-19 vaccines sent to Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire,

8:30 AM

Mumbai coronavirus update: 1,167 new Covid-19 cases

Mumbai recorded 1,167 new Covid-19 cases, the highest daily spike in about four months, on Wednesday, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said.

 

The tally of cases in the country's financial capital thus rose to 321,698, while the death toll reached 11,453 with four new fatalities.

8:22 AM

Maharashtra reports nearly 9,000 new Covid cases, 80 deaths in last 24 hrs

Maharashtra on Wednesday reported 8,807 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total infection count to 2,121,119, according to the state health department.

 

The increase in cases was sharp, considering that on Tuesday, the state had reported 6,218 new Covid-19 cases. Read on...

8:09 AM

Mexico begin Covid-19 inoculation drive with Russian Sputnik vaccine

Mexican authorities administered their first shots of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine on Wednesday to residents of the capital, with people lining up at a vaccination station on the city's south side, eager to get any protection they could.

 

I just want to be vaccinated; I don't care what company made it, said Ismael Avila , 72, of the southside borough of Xochimilco. I want to make it out of this alive.

 

Avila said he was satisfied with the Russian vaccine's reported effectiveness rate of around 92%. Read on...

7:59 AM

Chile expects "herd immunity" against Covid-19 by midyear

Chile expects to have 80 per cent of its population vaccinated against the novel coronavirus disease by midyear, achieving so-called "herd immunity," Health Minister Enrique Paris said.

 

Health officials estimate the bulk of the target population, about 15 million Chileans, could be inoculated by June, Paris told local media on Wednesday.

 

By Tuesday, the healthcare system had vaccinated 19 per cent of those in high-risk groups, and the experience of other countries has shown that with 25 per cent of the population vaccinated, there is "a decline in new patients and those who are admitted to intensive care units," the Xinhua news agency quoted Paris as saying.

7:50 AM

US launches new initiative to study 'Long Covid'

The US has launched a major new initiative to study the long-term effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and the means of prevention and treatment of individuals who have been sickened by Covid-19, but do not recover fully over a long period of time.

 

The initiative, announced by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) on Tuesday, aims to learn more about how SARS-CoV-2 may lead to such widespread and lasting symptoms, and to develop ways to treat or prevent these conditions, the Xinhua news agency reported.

 

Large numbers of patients who have been infected with SARS-CoV-2 continue to experience a constellation of symptoms long past the time that they have recovered from the initial stages of Covid-19 illness.